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Jesus, Christ and the Holy Spirit

Some students have expressed confusion about the terms Jesus, Christ and Holy Spirit in A Course in Miracles. Is there a distinction between them? Do you have to believe in Jesus and His story to be a student of the Course? Why do some teachers of A Course in Miracles refer to Jesus and others to the Holy Spirit?Christ is the part of your mind that is Part of God. It is also referred to in the Course as the Son of God. Christ is your True Mind, completely unchanged and untouched by your sense of separation from God. The Holy Spirit is the teaching part of your Christ Mind. Jesus, being wholly identified with Christ, has become a symbol of the Christ Mind in all of us. So Jesus, Christ and the Holy Spirit are all One and the Same.

Some students find the idea of “Holy Spirit” to be too abstract to feel any connection to It. They find a personal connection with Jesus to be helpful. A concrete image, a “person”, representing their Christ Mind is something to which they can relate. Others, like me, find it easier to accept an abstract “Holy Spirit” as part of my mind and find it reinforces a sense of separation to call on a person for guidance. For me, a concrete image is a distraction from the abstraction of God. Many students find calling on the Holy Spirit in one context and Jesus in another works best for them. The right choice for you is the one which is most helpful in helping you feel closer to God. You may find that what works for you changes over time.

You may view the story of Jesus as a metaphor for spiritual awakening or you may accept His life as having actually occurred as it is described in the Bible. You may find that you believe something in between metaphor and fact. Again, it is whichever is most helpful in opening you to experience God directly that is the best choice for you.

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I have been a student of A Course in Miracles since 1984, a life coach since 2000, and a mentor for students of A Course in Miracles and 4 Habits for Inner Peace since 2006. You can learn more about me and what I offer at my website, www.acimmentor.com.